Temperature Control During Construction to Improve the Long Term Performance of Portland Cement Concrete Pavements

The study developed mitigation techniques to control the in place temperature development of early-age concrete. Longer lasting PCC pavements will be produced if the assumptions made during design are achieved in the field. This study proposes a method to integrate the design assumptions to the construction process by means of an end-result temperature control specification. A general hydration model for cementitious materials and a model to predict the temperature gain in hardening concrete is developed and calibrated. The temperature prediction model was calibrated for field conditions with data collected from seven concrete paving projects. The model accounts for different pavement thicknesses, mixture proportions, cement chemical composition, cement fineness, amount of cement, mineral admixtures, material types, climatic conditions, and different construction scenarios. The temperature prediction model will enable the development of performance based specifications to guard against premature concrete failures. This model will further provide the designer, contractor, and specification developer with the means to evaluate and quantify the effect of most of the various complex interactions that affect the concrete temperature development during early-ages. A model to predict initial and final setting of hardening concrete is presented, and calibrated, with data collected under laboratory and field conditions. The effects of concrete temperature, different cements, and mineral admixtures on the initial and final times are characterized. Finally, an innovative temperature control specification is presented, which encourages contractor innovation and focuses on material selection for the particular location and environmental conditions. This approach accounts for the impact of modern paving materials, and will ensure improved concrete performance under hot weather placement conditions.

• Record URL:
  http://www.utexas.edu/research/ctr/pdf_reports/0_1700_2.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Texas, Austin

  Center for Transportation Research, 3208 Red River Street
  Austin, TX  United States  78705

  Texas Department of Transportation

  Research and Technology Implementation Office, P.O. Box 5080
  Austin, TX  United States  78763-5080

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Schindler, Anton K
  • Dossey, Terry
  • McCullough, B F
• Publication Date: 2002-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Edition: Technical Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 538p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Admixtures; Cement; Chemical composition; Climate; Concrete hardening; Concrete pavements; Concrete placing; Contractors; Fineness; Forecasting; Hot weather; Hydration; Innovation; Materials; Materials selection; Mineral aggregates; Mix design; Pavement design; Pavement performance; Paving; Performance based specifications; Portland cement concrete; Proportion; Setting (Concrete); Temperature control (Structures); Thickness
• Uncontrolled Terms: Early age concrete; Long term performance
• Subject Areas: Construction; Design; Highways; Materials; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I23: Properties of Road Surfaces; I32: Concrete; I52: Construction of Pavements and Surfacings;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01016449
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/TX-05/0-1700-2, 0-1700-2
• Contract Numbers: 0-1700
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jan 31 2006 10:18AM